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County reports food‑security investments, ARPA projects and new grants as need grows
Summary
Cooperative Extension staff briefed commissioners on ARPA‑funded emergency food deliveries, double‑bucks farmers‑market subsidies, and a new round of county food‑security grants; presenters noted Durham’s most recent county food‑insecurity estimate at 13.8% and emphasized the need to sustain nonprofit partnerships as ARPA funding winds down.
Durham County’s food‑security coordinator and Cooperative Extension staff updated the board on May 4 about recent ARPA‑funded food programs, farmers‑market subsidy work and new county grants to nonprofits.
Staff recapped ARPA projects that delivered over 1.5 million pounds of food to local pantries, supported a community accountable grocery market in northeast‑central Durham (which closed the county contract early when federal SNAP rule changes made the double‑bucks model untenable), and scaled double‑bucks at four farmers markets so SNAP/WIC households could buy more fresh produce. Staff said the double‑bucks program generated roughly $214,531 of local market dollars and reimbursed $120,000+ in double‑bucks to SNAP/WIC households in 2025.
Cooperative Extension is administering the latest County Food Security Grants: the FY25 cycle drew 55 applications requesting more than $2 million; staff allocated a $332,000 budget and will make awards in mid‑May to 20 organizations (awards $20,000–$50,000) prioritized for systems change and capacity building. Presenters warned that national SNAP participation has fallen since mid‑2025 and that Durham’s most recent county estimate of household food insecurity is 13.8%; commissioners urged continued county investment to sustain capacity and asked staff to continue coordination and mapping of food access points and pantry hours.
Staff also previewed a forthcoming county food‑system assessment and community engagement process to identify gaps, map food‑resource deserts and plan longer‑term resilience measures. Commissioners asked for continued support for pantry coordination and training in fundraising and grant competitiveness for smaller organizations.
